Education

We offer a variety of undergraduate and graduate robotics courses across several departments:

  • Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Aerospace Engineering
  • Agricultural and Biological Engineering
  • Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering
  • Computer Science


M.S
. and Ph.D. students are admitted to one of these home departments, and will need to satisfy the degree requirements of the home department. Ph.D. students will identify a primary faculty advisor that is affiliated with their home department.

We are currently accepting applications for a Masters of Engineering (M.Eng.) in Autonomy & Robotics, starting in 2022.  The M.Eng. is an intensive, 1-year professional Master’s program that prepares students for the robotics and autonomy workforce. Students will take a variety of courses from all departments listed above, with a curriculum tailored to their interest area. More information about this program can be found at https://autonomy.illinois.edu/meng

There is no “one size fits all” curriculum for robotics, and a successful robotics student will build their own plan of study that fulfills the requirements of their home department, and combines robotics courses from the list below with relevant breadth courses, e.g., machine learning, control theory, AI, computer vision, optimization, HCI, and design.

Robotics Courses at UIUC

FOUNDATIONAL

  • Introduction to Robotics (ECE 470, ME 445, AE 482)
  • Principles of Mobile Robotics (ABE/ECE 426)
  • Advanced Computational Topics in Robotics (CS 598)


DYNAMICS & CONTROL

  • Robot Dynamics and Control (ME 446, ECE 489, SE 422)
  • Digital Control of Dynamic Systems (SE 420)
  • Industrial Control Systems (ME 460)
  • Control Systems (ECE 486)
  • Control System Theory & Design (ME 540, ECE 515)
  • Nonlinear and Adaptive Control (ECE 517)
  • Analysis of Nonlinear Systems (ECE 528)
  • Modeling and Control of Electromechanical Systems (ECE 568)


MECHATRONICS

  • Introduction to Mechatronics (SE 423)
  • Computer Control of Mechanical Systems (ME 461)
  • Sensors and Instrumentation (ECE 437)
  • Real-Time Systems (CS 424)
  • Embedded Systems (CS 431)
  • Power Electronics (ECE 464)
  • Soft Robotics (SE 598)


AI + MACHINE LEARNING + PERCEPTION


AUTONOMY

  • Autonomous Systems and Robots (ABE 526)
  • Autonomous Vehicles Systems Engineering (CS 588)
  • Introduction to Autonomous Systems (SE 498)
  • Principles of Safe Autonomy (ECE 484)


PREREQUISITE COURSES


Is there a relevant robotics course that you’d like to take in your home department? Ask whether it can be cross-listed!